There are so many threads, but maybe we should have an official thread of what orders each person in the vocation section is considering.

I am considering the Legion of Christ, Norbertines, FSSP, Diocseean, and the Married life as well.

What orders are you considering?

Tee hee...I am so going to be a Dominican.....although I have seriously looked at the Poor Clares. I love the Dominicans.....

J/w... what makes this one official and all the other ones not?

I'm considering the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, and hopefully entering in December.

Totus Tuus--Where do you want to enter the poor clares? Alabama or Arizona?

The Carmelites

I'm also giving a serious look at the PCPAs

I think I'm meant to be a Poor Clare Colettine and hopefully I will enter next summer... that is if I can get the application together in time...

Alabama.

Woohoo, go Poor Clares and Carmelites!

Sorry to burst in on your Fransiscan and Teresian white, brown and greyness, but I think I'm a black-and-white Dominican!

there are quite a few Dominicans-to-be here... and a cisternian-to-be too

I was looking into the Diocese Priesthood <<...;
Technically an order right?

I'm another black and white.... Cistercians!!

See them here: http://www.nunocist.org

I'm also going to check out a few Discalced Carmelites communities, but I'm thinking Cistercian may be the one!

Sorry! Diocesan priests are considered "secular". They make promises of obedience to the bishop and a promise of celibacy (which is basically chastity but a slightly different nuance). They do not promise to live a rule of life (rule or constitution, etc.) nor are they bound to poverty.

But Diocesan priests are wonderful anyway and the backbone of the Church! God bless you!

Their site is really cool, and what lovely habits! I think they're very pretty. Why do they get up at 3:40? Is it part of their spirit of penance or something? In the Order I am joining, each sister rises in the middle of the night twice a week for an hour of Adoration... I don't know about you, but getting up like that is very hard for me. God bless

I really feel god is nugging me to enter the Legion. All in God's time!

I was talking about the cisternians with kathleen... we were comparing orders and the cisternians are really cool! But I think I'm mean for hte Poor CLares... And they rise at midnight for (matins?) night prayer and then rise again at 5 am Yay for no sleep!

They rise at 3:40 A.M. so that they can prepare for Matins at 4:00 A.M. It's funny... during my visit I kept saying that maybe this will be where God wants me if He wakes me up in time for Matins. The last morning I woke up at 3:30 A.M! Those truly are the best hours of the day sometimes.

I was thinking of the FSSP or the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (more likely the Institute, as the FSSP harbors quite a few extremists), but I think I might be open to the diocesan priesthood or the Franciscan Friars of the Eternal Word.

I totally agree. For a short while I woke up at 4:30 a.m. each morning to start school (I'm home-schooled), and there is really something supernatural about the unearthly hours of the morning... such a closeness to God, or something.

Agreed! Never can there be found more stillness and tranquility than in the hours before the "stir of the day" begins. It's a time of silence and intimate prayer, I think.

For over a year I was discerning whether I was called to the Religious Life. For quite some time I believed that's what God was saying. About six months ago I very very very seriously thought that I was called the Carmelites. But the more I pray the more I've realized that God is calling me to be a wife and a mother (of a VERY large family He has been telling me these past few weeks!!)

At first I was extremly "bummed" that He wasn't calling me to the Religious Life. But now I see His will and am going with it. And am quite at peace now! But I still have quite an affinity for the Carmelites and am now seriously considering whether to join the Third Order Carmelites. We shall see!!

~Jen

Son of angels,

Great to see a possible future traddy priest. The FSSP priests I met in Australia were wonderful. They didn't seem at all bitter or reactionary and have had some very positive effects on the diocese they were in - the first Solemn High Mass in 40 years will be celebrated in St Mary's Cathedral soon. The fact that they split with Lefevbre seems to make 'safe'. I've never met any priests from the Institute of Christ the King, so I can't compare. We need priests for the Old Rite!!!

God bless you

I've been considering the Institute a bit as I continue to discern my vocation. Their love and reverence for the traditional liturgy is very beautiful. Monsignor Schmitz, the Vicar General of the order, was on EWTN Live with Father Pacwa recently.

Also, any girls here who have a love for the Tridentine Mass might be interested to know that a female branch of the Institute was recently founded - Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Sovereign Priest

Apart from the Institute, two orders that are figuring prominently in my discernment right now are the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and the Franciscan Friars of the Primitive Observance. They definitely have a different charism and way of life than the Institute. Hopefully, the Lord will soon show me which direction I should pursue more deeply.

FSSP, Institute of Christ the King, and the MFVAs (and also the Fathers of Mercy) are my favorite Orders of the priesthood. Recently, I was on pilgrimage in France, and I met a few of the Abbes (seminarians) of the Institute of Christ the King. They were so impressive. They are also allowed to say the NO Mass as well, while FSSP does not, as far as I know. I hope that all goes well in your discernment!

FSSP split from Lefebvre, as well. Mother Angelica interviewed an FSSP priest also the year after they were founded... so it seems like EWTN likes both the Institute and FSSP. That's a good sign!

Ooh, a lot of contemplatives! very nice! I'm looking into the Daughters of St. Paul, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal and the Salesians myself...

MilesChristi,

Thanks for the link to the Adoratrices...
I thought I had it all sorted out (Dominican), but I've just written a letter of enquiry to those Sisters now too. St Francis de Sales, St Benedict, St Thomas Aquinas. And the Immaculate Conception. I was born on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

Yikes, my list grows. At least I have lots of options to test out before concluding that I'm looking at the wrong state of life.

I haven't written to the Oblates of Mary, Queen of Apostles yet, but I'll have to get onto that very soon.

I thought I didn't want to leave Australasia, but I might have to. Oh dear, I don't know how my family would cope with me on the other side of the world, but Italy would probably meet their interest!

God bless you all

i have been discerning between the married life or the priesthood. the orders that interest me are the institute of Christ the King, Fraternity of st. Peter, or a diocean priest.

*Sigh...* Yes, I totally agree with you. I was so certain about everything a couple of weeks ago and since then, I just don't know. Oh, except, I still think I'm called to be a Dominican and I really hope so too!!!

For the first time in a very long time, I am actually reconsidering active Dominicans...the two most obvious of course!!! But, it says something if you cry when watching a video of an order, doesn't it? I felt sooo happy and different, like when I accepted that it looks like God is calling me to radically give my life to Him!!!

And, yes. It will be sooooooooooo hard for my family when I leave. I will be 18 by then luckily....its funny though, I really just want to drop everything RIGHT NOW and go enter somewhere!!!!!

This September 8 (God willing), I will be entering the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. I just returned from pre-postulant week, in which 17 young women lived with the sisters for four days. I miss it so much!!!!!

Congratulations!

Congratulations!! I have heard so much about these sisters recently. They sure do sound like such a wonderful group. I'm so happy for you!

~Jen

Thanks TT and Jen!!!!

Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist for me!

I'm going to their Retreat in October and I'll ask for my entrance papers then, so I can enter at the end of next summer.

SOmething tells me phatmass will be losing some wonderful young ladies to the religious life this and next year! Not that it is a bad thing though...

You ARE?!?! AWESOME! I think I knew about this, but it slipped my mind when I read your post! Yay!!!

Thy Kingdom Come!
Feast of St. Benedict, Founder of Western Monasticism

It is great to read that God is still calling many people to the consecrated life (not the religious life, I feel everyone is called to live a reliigous life, so I refer to the sisters, brothers, deacons, etc. as consecrated.) When I pray for vocations I pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life and for perseverence for those who are pursuing a vocation.

Please pray holy priests future sisters of PM.

As even Jesus said back in 33 AD stands true today,

"The harvest is great and yet laborers are few, so then pray to the Father in Heaven for more laborers to tend to the harvest"

Yours in Christ,

Eddie Lee

Amen!

Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles mostly. But pretty much I want to be a Carmelite whether through this order, another order, or as a laywoman. And as of today I've started looking into the Daughters of St. Joseph.
About the Dominicans SMME, I think I'm still going to go visit them to see an order that's not Carmelite. I think it'll be good for me. I know 2 people through livejournal that are entering this fall.

I'm going to the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist's retreat in October.

Yeah, I wish I could go to the October SMME retreat, cept I have all my major end of school exams about 2 weeks later. Hopefully I'll make it to the Feb one.......

Yeah, I vaguely "know" people off xanga who are entering this September as well.

holyspirit1985,

There is a really great (so I hear) Carmelite convent in Nebraska, which is served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. They are a very traditional, very cloistered convent. A friend of mine's sister is having her clothing there this week.

I've heard of them! They sound uber cool...

Whoo! More people coming to SMME retreats! Yay! I'll be there (duh)... which reminds me, I need to write my vocation story soon... (as if it isn't already "written")!!

Ooo... Yes, I'll be watching for it online when they put all of you new postuants up on the site! Do you think they'll be able to fit them all in the newsletter?

Sr. Joseph Andrew is still pressing us all to send her our vocation stories. She says that if need be, she will make the type smaller to get all the stories in! But prepare for a PACKED newsletter between zillions of missions/camps this summer, final profession (!!!!!!!!!!!!), first profession, reception to the habit, and (God willing) a record number of postulants!!!!!!

That is sooo aweseome! I'm so happy that there will be a lot of girls there with you! It's crazy how the convents are overflowing; I just talked to Sr. Charlotte of the Sisters of Life and they're expecting 8-12 postulants woohoo!

You know, it's the Year of the Eucharist!

There's something in the bread...Jesus!

I'm not really sure what you mean by that.... I don't want to be in any way offensive, but Jesus isn't in the bread, He is the bread.

I know...I said it wrong. It was early (for me).